Riding Glasses Or A Face Shield: Whats The Best Choice?
I got my first bike when I was a mere 18 years old. The bike had a beefed up engine, a custom dual chrome exhaust and was a 1977 Honda 550 Four. My older brother was also a rider at the time, having chosen a brand-new Yamaha as his preferred mode of transportation. My first conundrum in terms of my bike was whether I should choose to use a full face shield or go for a pair of riding glasses with an open helmet. My brother was wearing a helmet that had a full face shield but my bike had come with a helmet that only had a half shield.
I was left with the choice of buying a new helmet that had a full face shield or buy one without any shield and wear a pair of riding glasses; for the latter I would have to take my chances with any bugs I encountered. I haggled back and forth trying to make up my mind. I was not happy with the helmet I had with the half shield because I really felt that they were just for old people.
Yet at the time I didn’t have the money to lay out for a new helmet which, in those days, was still a couple hundred dollars for quality model. However, thankfully my brother made the choice easy for me.
He had purchased a full front fairing to make his ride from Fort Hood, Texas to our house in New York a little bit easier. But once he was home for couple of months he decided he no longer wanted it. So he decided to give it to me. Even though it may not be manly, I absolutely loved it!
So it solved my dilemma as well as keeping me warmer when the temperature got a little bit cooler. The upper portion of the fairing was just high enough to keep the bugs from hitting me in the face, yet not so high that it interfered with the “wind blowing through your hair” sensation.
All I had to do then was buy a pair of riding glasses to go with the helmet I already had after I removed the half shield. I still have those riding glasses 28 years later! Can you imagine that from a pair of riding glasses?